Punjab's Merit-Based Recruitment Crosses 67,000, CM Mann Hands Appointment Letters To 355 Youth

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday distributed appointment letters to 355 candidates across multiple government departments in Chandigarh, pushing the Aam Aadmi Party government’s total merit-based recruitment count to 67,037 since it assumed office in 2022. Mann said every one of those appointments was made without political recommendations, bribery, or favouritism, and that Punjab had not recorded a single exam paper leak since the AAP government took charge.

The appointments covered candidates selected across the departments of Technical Education, Cooperation, Local Government, Water Supply and Sanitation, Animal Husbandry, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development, and others. Addressing the gathering, Mann drew a direct

contrast with the national examination landscape. “Since 2017, around 93 examination papers have reportedly been leaked across the country. Incidents involving major examinations, including NEET, have disappointed and demoralised lakhs of youth. After our government assumed office in 2022, not even a single paper leak incident has surfaced in Punjab,” he said.

Mann posted on X after the event: “Today, 355 more youths were handed appointment letters, taking the total number of government jobs provided so far to 67,037. All these jobs have been given purely on the basis of merit and transparency. At a time when papers like NEET are being leaked across the country, Punjab has set an example by ensuring honest recruitment and securing the top position in the nation in the field of education.”

67,000-Plus Jobs, And A Few Candidates Collected More Than One

Among those who received letters on Monday were candidates who had cleared competitive government exams more than once, securing placements in multiple departments across different recruitment cycles. Mann cited this as evidence that the process had genuine credibility. One of the appointees, the son of a watchman, received his fourth government job offer through merit alone. He told the gathering that the transparent process had prompted several of his NRI friends to consider returning to Punjab and applying for government positions.

Newly appointed candidates from Dhuri, Patiala, Amritsar, and Mohali told the audience at the event that they had cleared the process without paying anyone or calling in any political contacts. Manpreet Kaur from Amritsar said her hard work had finally been rewarded after years of preparation. Parmeet Kaur from Mohali said she had become the first in her family to get a government job. Kala Singh, a retired soldier from village Buta Singh Wala in Patiala, said there had been no scope for manipulation in his recruitment.

65,000 Contractual Workers In Line For Regularisation

Mann also announced that the Punjab government plans to introduce two new laws to create a pathway to permanent employment for over 65,000 contractual workers currently engaged through private contractors in state departments and entities. Under the proposed framework, workers who complete five years of outsourced service will be brought directly under state employment. After ten years of contractual service, they become eligible for absorption against regular sanctioned posts. “These employees have worked tirelessly for the state. Going forward, there will be no contractors standing between them and the state government,” Mann said.

25 New ITIs, Teacher Training In Singapore And Finland

On the skill development front, Mann said construction of 25 new Industrial Training Institutes is currently underway across Punjab, while 13 existing ITIs are being upgraded. The government has spent Rs 20 crore on modernising Government Polytechnic Colleges, and a separate Rs 23 crore is going toward the Captain Amol Kalia Centre of Excellence at Nangal, which Mann described as a hub for advanced skill development and industry-oriented training. A Semester Internship Programme has been introduced across all 91 Polytechnic Colleges in the state to give students direct industry exposure before they graduate.

Mann also pointed to the government’s teacher training programme under Sikhya Kranti. Principals and education officers from Punjab have received training in Singapore. Head teachers attended advanced programmes at IIM Ahmedabad. Primary school teachers were sent to Turku University in Finland. Mann said the government had established 118 Schools of Eminence across the state, citing admissions from private school students into these government institutions as a measure of how perception around state schooling has shifted. He added that Punjab had moved from 27th in school education nationally when AAP took over in 2022 to first place, citing NITI Aayog rankings, surpassing Kerala.

“Reverse Migration Has Begun,” Mann Says

Mann said young Punjabis who had left for abroad are now returning, drawn back by employment prospects at home. He has made this claim before, framing it as one of the intended outcomes of the government’s jobs and education push. “The AAP Government is fully committed to preventing the migration of youth abroad and providing them with opportunities and wings to progress here in Punjab itself,” he said.

Cabinet Ministers Harjot Singh Bains and Gurmeet Singh Khudian were present at the event.